-This article was so interesting to read. I had many different types of reactions reading each section were there were moments where I was in disbelief at how children were with technology in a negative way as well as moments where I was in shock to see what good things technology could do. Throughout the entire time though, there was a constant battle in my head on whether or not technology is good in the classroom and whether or not I’m for it or against it.

In all honesty, I think it’s great to expose students to technology because it’s all around them now and it’s good for them to be able to use all these devices. It’s also good that they are aware with what is being used now a day and the different things you can accomplish using these devices. However, I also think that it’s good for kids not only to see what it’s like to be taught in a traditional classroom, but also being able to obtain the benefits of help from an actual physical teacher who is in front of you. If there is a problem with another student and the student is not trying to get to a compromise, where will the student turn to for additional help? The computer? Or what if a student is feeling a particular way one day and wants to talk to an adult about how he is feeling , will he turn the computer on and ask for help on there?

There were a couple notes I took while reading this article that I thought stood out to me or came to my mind. One thing is that technology doesn’t always help everyone. As educators, we should all know this by now. Some students are better in a classroom where they are actually able to write using their hand and other students learn best by tapping on a touch screen and/or typing a story. In the beginning the author mentioned that there was a program that really helped with vocabulary, but was it a sure thing that it helped everyone? In addition, along with the writing, that article mentioned that students were now improving with their actual writing and spelling. I think that writing AND spelling are so important. Spelling check doesn’t really catch all spelling errors and it’s good for students to be able to spell without having to depend on a spelling checker that isn’t 100% accurate anyway.

Also, I thought it was interesting how there was research on students who got the same scores whether they used technology or whether they were learning in a traditional classroom. Again, I just think it all relates to how students learn best. There also has to be a moderation to everything and why not know about everything in moderation? It’s better because then one is more knowledgeable about all things. I think it’s sad to go a party or social even where 80% of people are on their phones and can’t just talk to people. I also don’t know how I feel about having a 6th grader emailing and chatting during class. When I first read this I thought it was fascinating because we are preparing them for what it will generally be like in college and we are also allowing them to practice decision making. However, what happens when the made a poor choice and didn’t pay attention. The student will have to ask the teacher to RE-explain after the teacher has already explained it in case they are not able to capture it by just watching the you tube links. In reality, do we still need teachers? If they are in a technology environment, are they just there to make sure everyone is safe and there is an adult in the room while the students are learning through technology?

In the very beginning of watching Extracurricular empowerment:by Scott Mcleod I automatically said “this is just another video on why technology is helpful.” I think the the reason I said this was because I know we are learning about technology in this class and we are trying to look at the positives rather than just the negatives many people tend to think of, especially the elderly. However, after watching the clip and hearing all the examples he provided of different teens around the world who were using the media, I was so shocked. I couldn’t believe how many teens were being watched and subscribed because of what they were sharing or blogging about. I also couldn’t believe there were teens making over six digits even before going to college. It was definitely eye awakening. I also really enjoyed hearing about “Martha” and how she would rate her lunches every day at school. I thought it was interesting, clever, and something fun and educational in the sense of sharing what was healthy at her school and what was not. I also thought it was interesting how the school told Martha that they no longer wanted her to take pictures of her lunches and share them with other viewers and the world, basically. I’m sure the school board didn’t want pictures of the school’s lunch posted because it was became a huge thing where everyone was seeing what the students were actually being served. It created a negative image for that school and those who worked there. When Scott had mentioned that we do everything we can for our kids to have technology and then do everything we can to take it away, I didn’t completely agree with him. I believe that there are parents who don’t do everything they can for their kids to have all types of technology and I also believe that parents take it away when they need to. I am all for technology and all the great things that can be done with it, but I know for a fact that in my class we are still using our creative thinking, problem solving skills, etc. even when we don’t have our laptops or ipads out. I think that all these things he mentioned about can be exercised using technology AND the traditional classroom teaching using given materials, supplies, activities, and exercises appropriate for each skill.

– My focus for the semester would be Basic Concepts for 4th graders.
C/T 3-5.1 Demonstrate an operational knowledge of various technologies.
A. Use various types of technology devices to perform learning tasks.
• Use a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, touchpad, and other input devices to interact with a computer.
• Demonstrate the ability to perform a wide variety of basic tasks using technology, including saving, editing, printing, viewing, and graphing.

My first experience with pixlr was interesting because I had never heard of it and it took some time to get the hang of it. Thinking ahead, if I were to use this with my students I know I would have to dedicate much time in order to have everyone on the same page. I would also think about those students who absolutely cannot help anyone until their’s is completely finish. I also have to think of those students who need complete guidance with anything, especially something brand new for them. However, once we are finish I know it would be interesting to use with other aps and stories where the cartoons will show up. They will be more personal and they will definitely be more engaged.

1. When watching traditional teenage quest for identity/connection occurs, I couldn’t help but think of all my students who already have an instagram at the age of 10 and who are talking about likes as well. This generation truly is a generation like and it is unbelievable how many things kids know how to do now a days. Some student know how to work a smart board or even a computer better than their own teachers which I’ve seen many times, especially with the older teachers. I think realizing how children are using the social web now a days can definitely prepare us in the classroom. For example, the video discussed how children can relate to characters from a book online and even write to them directly. Now only can they write to them now, their favorite artist or person in a movie/book can respond back! For a teenage or a kid, this is pretty exciting. If we are going to be talking about a book and reading it together, I can pull up things about certain characters on how they live, what their interests are, maybe other books that are going to come out, etc. This way, students are more actively engaged in what we are discussing in the classroom. Through the media, students feel no one is there to tell them what they can or cannot say, they are able to express themselves about anything, and they have a sense of voice or freedom. I thought it was interesting how kids feel that in person they will be judged by what they wear or how they act, but they aren’t afraid to reveal things about them online where all different type of people are more accepting. I think it would be great to bring up a conversation to the class on how the things you like, the more companies and other businesses are able to collect date and on how they get money. This would be a great math/research project all intertwined. Also, in the classroom, I feel that there can be instruction while students are collaborating together on projects as well as blogs or discussion boards which are the means of communication in classroom I’ve seen the most as of now. In conclusion, the more I am able to learn about different ways in which technology can be beneficial in the classroom, the more I am tempted to use it in the classroom. However, it’s important that children know why we are using it in the classroom and be instructed on the correct way to use it. I also think that students should be advised on what can happen if they don’t use technology correctly and the dangers could occur. Either way, as teachers, it is our job to also stay up to date on what is going around us to understand our students and to at least be residents of technology.

1. The blog I chose to read about was “Free technology for teachers”. The reason I decided to read about this blog by Richard Byrne was honestly because the title of his blog was an attention grabber to me. What teacher wouldn’t want to implement new and different types of technology in the classroom especially for free?? I know I would. He provides different resources that teachers can use in their classroom, tutorials, and even information about himself. Something I learned about in his blog in which really amazed me was that there were 47 other different alternatives to using youtube in the classroom. I was in complete disbelief! I had no idea there were numerous amounts of resources besides youtube and other sites where clips for students are displayed. Something I really liked about in which the author said was “I believe that when used correctly, technology has the power to improve student engagement and student achievement” and this ties directly to what we have been discussing in class so far.

2. The program that really stood out to me that the gaming program/classroom. I couldn’t believe how many different components there were to a game and how interesting it would be to see students work on. After learning about it I could really see how they learn throughout the process, practice trials and error, its a working process, its something they create, and there are different goals within each game they are creating. Something that also stood to me was that the narrator spoke of how allowing kids work on their own games prepares them to try to solve problems on their own and lets them work through problems face while figuring out what strategies to solve them with and win. I had never seen it from this angle and after looking at it, seeing that there has been research, and especially seeing how engage students are in it really surprised me. I wouldn’t mind using this as a project in my classroom. I am more than positive students would be very excited, but I also think it shouldn’t all be about technology. There should be a balance.